Russia (v.1: das-vedanya)
Ivan Vladmirovich Braginsky is the human reincarnation of the Russian Federation (Российская Федерация), and oftentimes also representative of the Soviet Union (CCCP). He is the only known Psychiatrist in the city of Liberty, USA. 188 cm tall, of pale complexion, skin cold to the touch, and eyes an unnatural violet hue, he is the middle child of two sisters and has lived in Liberty for twelve years. Russia is played by Eru, along with Wales. Background Before Liberty Ivan was born in Moscow, Russia in 1983 to parents Vladmir Braginsky '''(Representation of the Soviet Empire, as he shares the first name with Vladmir Lenin the first leader of the Soviet Union) and '''Anastasia Nikolaevna (embodiment of the monarchy, sharing the name with the Dutchess of Imperial Russia). He was born two weeks premature, at six pounds three ounces. The image of a perfect, nuclear family lasted only a year, as Anya later had an affair with a man named Alexander Arlovskaya, and gave birth to Natalia within months of the time Vladmir was found dead in Chernobyl, Ukraine. Aunt Catherine (Embodiment of Catherine the Great of Russia), Vladmir's older sister, took the three siblings under her wing for six years of Ivan's life, which one could argue were his happiest. During the first few years with Aunt Catherine, Ivan discovered his undying love with sunflowers after finding one in the middle of a snowy field at the age of four. Thrilled with how bright and colorful it looked against a backdrop of snow, Ivan sought to take care of it, but the wrath of winter was cruel and claimed it three days after. It was then that he truly began to despise winter. Ivan planted one outside in the garden and waited weeks until it grew. Ivan plucked it from the ground to bring home to his aunt, only to discover the next morning that his desire to covet the flower resulted in its death. One winter when Aunt Catherine had fallen ill, the youngest brother of Catherine, Iosef Braginsky, deemed his older sister unworthy of caring for the siblings, and took them in her stead. Until the year 2000, Ivan and his siblings were under the merciless wrath and disapproval of Uncle Iosef. Neither Ivan nor his siblings much recall what happened to them in those years, and only know does Ivan know that a defense mechanism repressed their memories, but Ivan does remember the earning the first scars on his neck, and the broken wrist that still has not healed right. Yekaterina managed to inherit the riches of their passed grandfather and move to the United States with the little amount of belongings they had. Moments before their departure, Natalia dragged her older brother into a very unwanted and very intimate kiss. When their uncle discovered that his nieces and nephew had moved to the United States, he immediately broke off contact with them. In Liberty Ivan moved to Liberty at the age of fifteen only having known enough English to get him around town. Imagine, if you will, learning that the letter "E" is not pronounced "yeh", be "ee." Ivan and his sisters purchased a small apartment in Centralia, which they would live in for twelve years. He entered High School halfway into the semester, and a job at a local flower shop sooner than that, since the family needed to pay for the apartment in which they lived. Muunokoi, or as Ivan called "Moon", spent the next three years of Ivan's high school career tormenting and harassing him. Ivan lived in the apartment with his sisters until his Aunt managed to pay his way into the Psychology school at Liberty University, where he shared a dorm room with another student named Francis Bonnefoy. It was within his first semester as a Freshman that Ivan learned of his attraction to the same sex, having never had a girlfriend in High School and living with his sister's fatal attraction to him. He dated Francis throughout the entirety of his four years studying Psychology at the University, but when the Parisian began growing distant for a reason that Ivan still does not understand, they finally broke up after Ivan had set fire to their shared apartment. While Ivan studied pre-med at the University, he moved back into his apartment with his two sisters and fell in love with a German named Gilbert. Although their relationship began on a blissful note, it quickly escalated into something violent and possessive. The same year Ivan purchased the building that would become his psychiatry practice, and hired Raivis Galante as his secretary, he and Gilbert split on account of a to a broken nose and near-concussion. While still working a second job at a local flower shop to help pay for college and rent at both his practice and apartment, Ivan met Emiliana. While they only dated for a few months, his relationship with her softened his heart enough to forget the violent tendencies he had when dating Gilbert, and the painful memories contributed to Francis. After months of close, intimate contact, he became certain with the fact that he was not physically attracted to the opposite sex, and broke up with his girlfriend on a cold January evening. Certain dreams tell tales of a subconscious that is still very much in love with her. Then there's Alfred. Their friendship rapidly morphed into something between the limits of sexual attraction and hatred, as their first break up was physically violent and emotionally turbulent. Alfred moved back to California and he was long forgotten until the Chinese restaurant next to the flower shop caught fire and Ivan was without his second job to stabilize his wages. It was then that he was employed at a restaurant by the name of Bon Sejour, ''and a familiar face who worked as the ''Sous Chef ''there: Francis. While he does not consider the affair that followed to be a relationship at all, he spent approximately two months with Francis, at least until Alfred came back. The very same month that Alfred and Ivan agreed to give each other a second chance was the time Francis moved back to Paris. His life today is still filled with the drama of his American boyfriend, a stabilizing practice, the psychotics of Liberty, his own psychoanalysis, and familial matters. Ivan prides himself for being the only Psychiatrist within the entirety of the city limits, and that fact alone may be the only contribution to his successful business that he works at with his cousin Ion, and his secretary Raivis. He currently lives with Im Hak Soo, Ion, and Natalia in a large house in St. Wigelfortis. Personality Initially refreshingly sweet, Ivan's personality can do a 180 in a matter of seconds. Being over six feet tall clashes with his young, innocent appearance. He has the uncanny ability to smile even at someone he hates, although that could have something to do with the fact that he is imagining stabbing through the stomach and drawing the blood of said hated person in his mind's eye. That being said, Ivan has an unexplanable craving for violence and seeing blood drawn out of another person by his own hand. Nothing brings him more joy in the world than the color of dark red, except, ironically, sunflowers. He's prone to harmful tendencies, like smoking and drinking. It's no secret that he's addicted to Alcohol - namely his precious Vodka. He cannot go a day without a shot at least, and can down half a bottle as if it were tap water. Ivan appears to be strong-willed, with a "my way or the highway" demeanor, and a maturity beyond his years, but he can be quite childish. He throws fits when he doesn't get what he wants, he must get what he wants ''right now, ''he's incessantly stubborn, and plays both the victim and the protagonist in every tale, though he may only be the antagonist in yours. His greatest fear is being alone. When faced with abandonment, he may either retreat far within himself, or lash out violently, even at the expense of his own or another's physical being. A wise man once said "A grudge is a poison that you ingest with the intent to harm another", and Ivan is the very definition of it. He still has not forgotten what Moon did to him, and still harbors the desire to draw his blood. He trusts ''almost no one, not even his own siblings or his own boyfriend. He likes to manipulate people so that they need him, when in actuality Ivan needs ''people need him. Although one could deduct that Ivan is a person who likes to be left alone, he needs to be around people. When people show any sign of leaving him, he will get violent on account of the fact that he truly believes that fear keeps people close. Being tall and intimidating most of his life also put a belief in his mind that he is above being threatened, but when someone he used to crushing beneath his thumb stands up to him, he recoils. For those fortunate enough to get through the icy exterior of his heart (as some may argue that he ''doesn't have one), ''Ivan is loyal to the end, and willing to sacrifice life and limb for anyone that he considers to be close and precious. A priceless aly, but also the worst enemy imaginable, this stature is capable of change even before you blink. Relationships Family ' ' *[[Belarus (v.4: here-comes-the)|'Natalia Arlovskaya-Braginsky']], the human embodiment of Belorussia, is Ivan's Younger Half-Sister, related to him through his mother Anastasia. While he loves his sister and will do anything to protect her (not that she needs it), he fears her intentions. Since she could talk, she's been telling her brother of this strange infatuation for him that is far beyond the definition of "sisterly love." *'Yekaterina "Katushka" Braginsky,' the human embodiment of the Ukraine, is Ivan's Older Sister and mother-figure. After the disappearance of their parents, Yekaterina put it upon herself to treat her younger siblings almost as her children. She gave Ivan the scarf that he so fondly and obsessively wears that is, for lack of a better term, his "security blanket." *'Boris Dragunov, the human embodiment of Bulgaria, is Ivan's half-brother, also related through his mother. Ivan has yet to learn about his half-sibling who is older than he is, but one could assume that whomever Anastasia had the affair with may be responsible for Ivan's parents splitting up. *'''Anastasia "Anya" Braginsky (NPC) is the reincarnation of Anastasia Romanov and Ivan, Natalia, and Katuyshka's Mother. She had an affair with Natalia's blood father and disappeared on the family. She may very well still be alive. *'Vladmir Braginsky '(NPC) is the reincarnation of Vladmir Lenin and Ivan and Yekaterina's Father. He is the middle child of his siblings Catherine and Iosef. He was found dead of radiation poisoning in 1986 in Pripyat, Ukraine. The only thing Ivan remembers about his father is the smell of cheap tobacco from the pipe he smoked, which may have contributed to Ivan picking it up. *'Iosef Braginsky '(NPC) is the youngest brother of Catherine and Vladmir Braginsky, Ivan's uncle, and the reincarnation of Josef Stalin. He tormented and physically abused Ivan and his sisters during their stay with him until 2000 when fleeing the country. In July 2010, Ivan returned to Russia to visit his uncle. The man suffered a cereberal hemorrage, and although Ivan had a window of opprotunity to save his uncle's life, he chose instead to sit at his bedside and watch him die. *'Catherine' Braginsky '(NPC) is the reincarnation of Catherine the Great of Russia, Ivan and Kat's Aunt, and the oldest sibling of Vladmir and Iosef. She owns a farm in Russia and a vacation home in Paris, France. For lack of a better term, Catherine is a "cougar", having preyed on Alfred many times in her visits to the states. *'Nikolai Nikolaevna (NPC) is the reincarnation of Nicholas II of Russia, and the Ivan's grandfather on his mother's side. He was married to Alexandra, Ivan's Gradmother, but they were both killed years after Anastasia's birth. They had six children: Alexei, Tatiana, Olga, Maria, Catherina, and Anastasia. Anastasia and her twin sister Caterina were the only known survivors of the killings. *'Vanya Braginsky' (NPC) is the reincarnation of Ivan the Terrible, and is grandfather of Ivan on his father's side. Ivan was named after his grandfather. His grandfather was married many, many times, as his many wives either died, or got divorced. One of his first marriages resulted in a daughter that would soon give birth to a boy named Toris. His last marriage resulted in the births of their three children Iosef, Vladmir, and Catherine. *'Toris Lorinaitis' is the human embodiment of Lithuania, and is distantly related to Ivan through their grandfather Vanya, although failed marriages resulted in different grandmothers. As children, Ivan and Toris were very close, but as time went on and Ivan became more mentally troubled, their afternoons of building snowpeople turned into calculating how many snowballs to the face it took for Toris to cry. It only got worse from that. For instance, Ivan locking Toris in supply closets for half the day just to hear him cry, or locking him out of the house until his fingers threatened frostbite. Their relations broke off when Toris moved away and Ivan could no longer visit his half-cousin in Lithuania. Once they learned they both lived in Liberty, Ivan nursed his desire to see Toris cry back to life and Toris still likes to pretend that they're not related. *[[Moldova (v.1: amar dulce vin)|'Ion "Eyonya" Sollomovici']] is the human representation of the country of Moldova and Ivan's Cousin. During his childhood, Ivan teased and tormented his cousin for his short stature and often threw snowballs in his face. Today, Ion lives in his home after Ivan's aunt and uncle begged him to take Ion in. Their relationship is rocky, albiet close. Ion is approximately three centimeters taller than his cousin. Ion has many siblings, but only Ion and his deceased twin sister were the ones that Ivan deemed important enough to call 'family.' *'Зима' (NPC), the nameless great-great-Grandfather of Ivan, who Ivan calls "Zima" or "Winter." Although he is long dead, having died during the Russian Revolution of 1917, his ghost still haunts Ivan to this day. He is noted for only coming during the winter months, or only when Ivan is either afraid or in danger. *'Laika '(NPC) is a one-year-old Samoyed mutt that Ivan found on on his doorstep and decided to adopt. Her name, Russian for "barker", is appropriately named after the first dog in Space in Sputnik II. She likes to sleep at Ivan's feet whether in bed or at his desk. Friends and Acquaintances *'Raivis Galante '''is the secretary at Ivan's Psychiatry practice. Their relationship is a complicated one, as Ivan loves to torment the boy without reason, but also deems him trustworthy enough to the point that Raivis has become Ivan's personal therapist. Beyond the repeated verbal and (sometimes) physical abuse, Ivan and Raivis are friends beyond the obligatory employee-boss relations. Raivis kissed his boss once, much to Ivan's disturbia; however, nowadays Ivan enjoys using it as blackmail against Raivis, and teases him for his obvious crush. *'Rory Kirkland is one of the few people Ivan absolutely and irrifutibly trusts, and for no particular reason whatsoever; their friendship was built on a point of absurdity, namely that they had met in their dreams. ''Outside of their nightmares, Rory has become the big, protective sister that Ivan has been lacking since Yerkaterina left Liberty. Ivan even goes as far as to call her ''"Syestra." *Wang Yao is an unfortunate man that happens to own one of the most comfortable sofas in Liberty. Ivan often enters his house unannounced for a visit and a cup of tea, as Yao is very hospitiable, kind, and the two of them have a lot in common. With Yao being a Pharmacist and Ivan being a Psychiatrist, he often has to come see Yao for perscriptions. The two have known each other since grade school, united under the victimization of Muunokoi. Beyond that, Ivan may also have a bit of a crush on the Chinese man, which he conveys through close physical contact (ie hugging from behind) that he passes off as "Russian customs." *Jared Montour is the only thing that Ivan will willingly remember from high school. He was also victimized by Moon's bullying, and may be the direct reason Ivan started smoking. The two of them, being the lest expressive ones in both their relationships, would rather smoke out back and let Emiliana and Alfred dance together at clubs. *John Paul Key is one of the few people in Liberty who understands and shares Ivan's bloodlust. They nearly killed each other once, but the scars and bruises from the fight somehow increased their bond, as they'd promised each other a good fight a long time ago a long time ago. *Alejándro Ezequiel Rodríguez is I DON'T KNOW HOW YET BUT WE'RE BROS. *Nicoleta Roșu' is a childhood frenemy that he met one summer while visiting Ion. Ivan pushed her into a lake while the two of them were watching the fish - unaware of just how cold the lake was, he almost caused her hypothermia - and she has never seemed to live that down. She currently likes to pound him with rude comments and insults, but the two can be quite a pair when they're up to no good. *'Nyugen Lai Kim has become a little sister figure in Ivan's mind - like the kind that doesn't want in his pants. He is extremely protective of her. Enemies/Annoyances *Im Hak Soo, who Ivan ocassional calls ''Durak ''(Fool), for some reason thinks that Ivan is his "sugar daddy", and often tricks Ivan into paying for lobster dinners and sushi outings, and has somehow moved into Ivan's residency where he lives in the attic. Ivan is very convinced that this obsessive nature Im Hak Soo has toward him is romantic. *Peter Kirkland' is Raivis's fiancee, and an annoying prat who broke into Ivan's office and causes repeated grief on Ivan's relationship with his secretary. *'Muunokoi "Moon" Bojigin' was Ivan's former bully during his High School years. Even though the Mongolian saved Ivan's life, Ivan still hates him and plans to exact revenge. Lovers and Ex-Lovers *'Vodka''' is probably the only thing that he's been in a relationship with longer than four years. They still love each other very much. *'Francis Bonnefoy '''was Ivan's boyfriend throughout his first four years at college, and Ivan's first real relationship. The Parisian liked to spend Ivan's cramming hours studying ''anatomy. It was never meant to be, however, as Francis did not like the idea of Ivan and him being so emotionally tied, and that was all Ivan ever wanted. The day the two of them broke up, Ivan set fire to their apartment and swore never to talk to Francis again... [http://community.livejournal.com/lolocracy/121769.html at least until he needed a job at Bon Sejour]. Francis happily gave Ivan a job as a waiter for a small but fair price. Francis later moved to Paris, and upon returning, wrongly assumed that Ivan was still single. The two of them are still close friends, though Ivan has to tiptoe around the Parisian in fear that his seductive tactics will land him in trouble again. *'Gilbert Beilschmidt '''was Ivan's second boyfriend in the latter years of college. While things began cheerfully, with afternoons of building snowmen in the park and evenings of drinking cocoa by the fire, Ivan began to fear that Gilbert would do the very same thing that Francis did: Leave and no longer love him. From then on, Ivan began to get physical, over-protective, and controlling, truly believing that if he kept a reign of fear - a stolkholm syndrome effect of sorts - over his boyfriend that he would never leave. He was Wrong. Today Ivan verily avoids his ex and his younger brother Ludwig. *'Emiliana "Emimi"/"Emilianka" Guadalupe de León is very easily the only girl he has been willingly close to. Although they only dated for a few months between 2007 and 2008, they were seemingly the image of a perfect couple. Emiliana is solely responsible for melting his heart and vanquishing any sore or hurt feelings from Ivan's previous lovers, as he did for her. They were seemingly forever locked in the honeymoon stage, but it was not meant to be. Ivan discovered in early 2008 that, although he was still in love with Emiliana, he felt that the physical aspect of it was something he could not be capable of loving. He broke up with her with the excuse that he had "fallen out of love with her", though it is far from the truth. They spent two years in silence until a fight between Emiliana and Natalia could no longer keep them from ignoring each other. Today, they are still steadfast friends, and a stranger could even mistake them for a couple with the way they flirt and coddle each other over loose hairs and crooked ties. *Alfred "Idiot" F. Jones''' is Ivan's current boyfriend and the source of both all his misery and his bliss. They met in Ivan's flower shop in 2009, and although the intent was originally to remain friends, their physical attraction could not go ignored. Alfred argues that Ivan made the first move, and Ivan argues the opposite, but whomever made the first move brought them into an endearing, yet painfully awkward relationship at least until frustrations involving Ivan's inability to properly convey or express his emotions lead Alfred into an affair with Alicia VanPeeters. His guilt lead Alfred into confession, which lead Ivan into a fit of hurt of rage that resulted in broken china and even more broken feelings. Alfred left for California without so much as a goodbye, at least until he came back months later to ''Bon Sejour ''to pawn a free meal off of his uncle, and instead finding his ex. The start of their reserrected relationship was filled with mistrust and some infedelity. When a ransom note arrived in Ivan's apartment and Alfred became the victim of a kidnapping, Ivan realized just how much he took Alfred for granted. While he still never admits his feelings to the American, Ivan left a rather nasty cigarette burn on the base of Alfred's spine to express his posessiveness. Today, and regardless of complications, they are still together. Ivan accidentally proposed to him on the 24th of December, 2010, but neither of them consider it to be an engagement as much as it is a promise. Fun Facts *Contrary to popular belief, his name is pronounced "EE-vhan", not "EYE-van." He has grown used to the misprounciation, treating it more like a nickname. *Ivan does not have a driver's license, nor has he ever driven in his life. Growing up in Moscow and Liberty where public transportation is so convenient that having a car is moronic and a waste of time and money, so he never saw a reason to get one. *The scarf around his neck is there for a reason. His neck is decorated in various scars from both the wrath of his uncle, his own childhood foolishness, and Moon's knife. Half the reason he hides them is because he thinks they're hideous, but the rest of it has to do with the fact that they're so sensitive, it's become his eterogenous zone. *He also has a scar on his right shoulderblade from when he burned down his shared apartment with Francis. *Ivan is fluent in Russian, Ukrainian, and English. *He took ballet during his six years with Aunt Catherine. After his uncle broke his wrist, he was unable to continue with it, but he still keeps his flexibility up. He tried ice skating, but never pursued it beyond his first year of lessons. No one knows, or will ever learn, about this. *Although he was born and raised in the Russian Orthodox church, Uncle Iosef forbade any religious practices once they moved in. Ivan has been atheist ever since, having had his religion stripped away from him; however, he still has a small charm he wears on his person, ironically, to remind himself that there is no God. Category:Braginsky Family Category:Allied Forces Category:Eastern Europe Category:Character Category:Canon Character Category:Currently Played